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Award winning Director Aparna Sen's latest film "The Japanese Wife" has been acquired for US distribution by Databazaar Media Ventures(DMV).

DMV, the media arm of the Databazaar.com , the leading internet retailer of printer consumables globally, acquired the film from Saregama India Limited, the producers of The Japanese Wife.

About Databazaar Media Ventures

Databazaar Media Ventures acts as an exclusive gateway for Bengali films to North America, combining the latest in digital technologies with the best in traditional methods in a new, fusion distribution model that maximizes North American film revenues. We are the missing link that ensures the most effective marketing of modern Bengali films. Once selected by DMV’s Film Review Board, exclusive partner agreements ensure that titles acquired will reach over 19,000 online and retail stores across the US and Canada including major chains such as Best Buy, Target, Fry's Electronics, Blockbuster, Netflix, Amazon and Wal-Mart, along with, theatrical releases in certain demographics. For more information please visit www.databazaarmedia.com.

Devasish Ray: The Japanese Wife is very different from your previous films. What were the cinematic adjustments you had to make to maintain the narrative of this film?

Aparna Sen: The challenge in front of me was that I wanted to make a film that would be reminiscent of a Japanese water-color in its minimalism and poignancy.

Devasish Ray: Your male protagonist Snehamoy played brilliantly by Rahul Bose. His character is surreal - how convinced were you of the author's etching of this almost unbelievable character?

Aparna Sen: [In the case of this film] One is not looking for everyday realism. The character is not surreal - the innocence of the story is improbable enough to be surreal. The character of Snehamoy is just of a very shy reclusive person - a quintessential little man living a humdrum life. He has this one very extraordinary element in his life - that is he marries a Japanese woman who he never met. The story is hilarious, absurd and charming, and that's the reason why I wanted to make [a film on] it.

Devasish Ray: It's kind of a bizarre situation, isn't it ?

Aparna Sen: I am a little bit bored now of this mundane everyday reality that we are constantly depicting [in films] middle class people - I am just tired of that now.

Devasish Ray: Talking about casting of the film, in my opinion, Moushumi Chatterjee has made a stunning comeback. Was she your first choice?

Aparna Sen: Actually I was considering other people before Moushumi came to me, and when she did, I dropped everybody else. I think my collaborator Sohag Sen asked me if I would like to consider Moushumi, and suddenly the role fell into place and I said "oh absolutely Moushumi is the right person."

Devasish Ray: What was your experience in directing Chigusa Takaku?

Aparna Sen: Well, she is naïve in English and for that reason I had to talk through an interpreter. But surely she has a great deal of sensitivity as an actor. I used to find when on earth I was telling her through the interpreter – Please tell her that this is what she is feeling, what she has to do, this is exact situation – she despite not knowing English used to state in Japanese “Hi” “Hi” meaning Yes, yes. Automatically her body language would begin to change. She is really an actress of exceptional sensitivity.

Devasish Ray: Your film is going to be away others in United States through the initiative of Databazar Media Ventures. It is also well for the Bengali cinema for which we are struggling so hard. What are your thoughts on this?

Aparna Sen: Well, I’m so happy because Bengali is he sixth highest-spoken language in the world. There are lots of Bengalis in the dominion of Bengal, both from India and Bangladesh and it would be simply great to reach out to them because you obviously want to share your thoughts. I am simply delighted that they would get an opportunity to watch my film and what’s more, others, aside from Bengalis, will also get the same opportunity. The film is sub-titled all the way.

Devasish Ray: The Indian diasporas living in the United States and Canada would be able to see “The Japanese Wife” very soon. Does this notion of a global audience besides the film attract you? Does it excite you?

Aparna Sen: Of course it does excite me. I am just waiting to see how they respond to this. I’m really waiting……………………….. very excited.

Devasish Ray: I am sure that your fans will appreciate since the film is going to be shown simultaneously in the United States. The same is going to take place in India too. Am I correct?

Aparna Sen: Yes. I am taking in a lot of questions from people, not only in India but from America and UK also. I am getting lots of questions in Facebook too.

Devasish Ray: What would be the great challenges in giving this international story a cinematographic form?

Aparna Sen: When I heard the story for the very first time, I found it bizarre and absurd. But the same impact did constitute a charm. There is no doubt that the purity of the concept is charming. In this day and age, when relationships are so fickle and do not last, I felt for an idea, which is so bizarre, the ideal cinematographic vehicle would be a classical form. That’s why, I never sought any stylistic devices or which would make it deliberately stylized. I wanted to use a pure classical form which would convey the absurd idea.

Devasish Ray: What’s about Prof. Kunal Basu’s involvement in the film? He is involved in a superb way!

Aparna Sen: He was involved right from the beginning because he is a very good friend of ours. He was in touch with me and my husband. Literally, three of us worked constantly and there was also Susmita, Kunal’s wife, because he would read out all the events. All four of us were readily involved. Again, as I was writing, I was emailing the same to him and my husband Kalyan constantly. All four of us were quite involved in the progress of the screenplay but both Kunal and I worked in addition too. We were also sending each other text messages along with emailing. So there were lots of inputs from him.

Devasish Ray: For our viewers we need to inform that Prof. Kalyan Ray is placed in New Jersey. Well, he was in the film “Antaheen” with you and he, there, played the role of your husband. Isn’t the experience of acting with own husband exciting?

Aparna Sen: Well, we are separated but we d care for each other and that was in the play in the film.

Devasish Ray: How was his acting in the film?

Aparna Sen: I was simply surprised to find out that Kalyan has great screen presence. Apart from my daughter Konkona, I do love to see Kalyan’s screen presence.

Devasish Ray: Let’s talk a bit of your upcoming film “Iti Mrinalini”.

Aparna Sen: Surely. The post-production of the film is almost finished and we, at the moment, are working with the sound part of the film. This does include background effects, synchronize effects and several others.

Devasish Ray: It’s a pleasure to watch both mother and acting in the same film. It has been learnt that you are also working in the film along with your daughter Konkona……….

Aparna Sen: Definitely. Even though we are in the same film and playing the same character, there is a difference. We are, in essence, representing different ages.